Over the years
since its release in 1996, I’ve seen this movie—set on an Academy
Award-nominated screenplay—over a dozen times, and it never gets old watching
Mark get ahead of his friends in the end.
Following the
lives of drug addicts who struggle with the “this will be my final time”
symptom, only to find themselves back on the same thing they swore to stay away
from, is both funny and tragic. The movie touches on difficult themes like life
in Edinburgh, drug abuse, neglect, and diseases that can come from sharing
needles.
This Scottish
movie had a great cinematographer at the controls, paired with a wonderful
visual effects team. Both performances shine, especially during the scenes
where the men use heroin, taking you on a surreal ride. There’s no dull moment
in this classic—the black comedy is compelling, funny, and leaves behind many
unforgettable scenes long after the credits roll.
Based on Irvine
Welsh’s 1993 book of the same name, Trainspotting has been recognized
by the British Film Institute as one of the best British movies and is seen as
the best Scottish movie in Scotland. The film stars many British actors who are
now big names in the U.S., but back then, they were unknowns carving out a
legacy for themselves. Ewan McGregor has done well in Hollywood with roles like
Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars and Moulin Rouge! (2001).
Robert Carlyle plays Rumpelstiltskin in the series Once Upon a Time, and
Jonny Lee Miller stars as Sherlock Holmes in Elementary.
Directed by
Danny Boyle (28 Days Later and Slumdog Millionaire), the story
follows the lives of five men. One of them, an older, slightly crazy guy,
ironically doesn’t do drugs like the other four but gets his own high from bar
fights. All five know each other well, and their drug-fueled lives carry them
through the struggles of stealing and doing anything just to get high.
Their constant
drug use leads to the death of an innocent child, the death of one of their
own, and causes Mark and Spud to be arrested. Spud is sent to jail, while Mark
“Rent Boy” Renton (Ewan McGregor) is forced into a rehab program. After getting
clean, Mark is dragged back into the world of drugs by his friends. This time,
instead of using the drugs, they decide to pull off one major score by selling
them, hoping to make enough money to live a better life.
The one final
score doesn’t turn out great for everyone involved, and that’s how the movie
ends.
Trainspotting is
one of those films you need to have in your library. The decision to make a
sequel twenty-one years after the first is something I’m willing to explore.
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